Peter

It made minor news here in the US too, where Denmark (and where it is) means even less.

tinaj

No offence to you but:

I know what he is referring to. But if you read it, as I said I did not refer to them as Abos I just said that the Aussies frequently do.

People like Kong jump on the band wagon before reading threads properly and accuse people of all sorts. They should get their facts straight before accusing me of using slang language.

Peter

http://britishexpats.com/forum/showt...5&pagenumber=3

Abo is a term of endearment. Your owns words, Tina, not anybody making crap up.

Whoever it was that told you it was a term of endearment is a retard and a racist, end of story. I'm sure you know it isn't anything remotely endearing, no more than an Aboriginal calling you a dumb pommy bint would be endearing.

Megalania

Likely having a leg pull.

Ceri

can I say something, in terms of her defence ( not that I want to defend anybody, people are big and ugly enough to defend themselves) .. But, I can see, or think she probably did get her wires crossed. She hasn't been here in Aus for very long if I'm not much mistaken.

Nearly all Australians call Aborigines abo in conversation.. day to day life, and yes it's racist! I had a go at PB a long while back for using this term here. But some people on here maybe using this term because it's what they hear on the street, everyday. You will not hear the word Abo in the media here, because it is classed as racist

On the other hand I find it funny that the "news, TV , media etc think nothing in saying "Paki's".... to me that is also a racist term.. what is good for the goose is not good for the gander.

I myself have never used the term Abo in public, only as in coversation "on the street" ie private conversations ... not because I'm being racist, because Aboriginie is hell of a mouth full to say.. just shortened.. which nearly all Australians do in conversation... but you will never hear it in the media.

And yes, who ever told her that it's a term of endearment is wrong.. it is classed as racist in public.. one of those things

Peter

Here's a little story. A real story about racism and labels

I was coming home from work one day; from Town Hall station to Hurstville station in Sydney. A bunch of American sailors were on board going somewhere.
Among their number were a couple of African-Americans.

At Redfern, a couple of inebriated indigenous folk got on the train and immediately took note of the US sailors.

One of them said to one of the black sailors: "Hey look! It's a real nigger!"

His mate asked one of the sailors to get up and start break dancing 'cos that's what black Americans are good at, apparently.

The sailors sat there speechless. Here were two guys, with darker skin than them, slamming them for being "niggers" and "break dancers".

The Aboriginal guys got off the train not long after.

Passengers around apologized to the sailors.

So I guess, yeah, some Australians do like their labels...

Ceri

I once saw hell of a fight in a pub between two aborigines( this was in Newcastle.. not long after I arrived) where two aborigines came to blows.. Ie smashed bottles the lot, trying to glass each other.. one aborigine called the other a "n*gger".. couldn't work it out myself.. different tribes? Nobody got involved with it.. just tried to calm both of them down, and gave them both a free drink on the house.. some personal matter between them.. came to blows

tinaj

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The difference is I did not say I thought is was a term of endearment.
Read the post and I was stating that I believe Aussies use it as a term of endearment. At no point do I state that I use it, I am not an Aussie and therefore do not include myself in this statement. That is why I go on to state how racist/ sexist they can be and how things will not change out here even if you don't like it.


Yet again I reiterate that I never condoned using language such as this.

Unfortunately sometimes things are not construed as you wish them to when you post.

Peter

I'm an Aussie; it's not a term of endearment. It's a racist label. Now you know. I'm sure if you asked everyone in your street, 90% would agree with me.

Yes, the written word sometimes doesn't convey the author's true meaning. It's a matter of interpretation.

Simone

When we just arrived in Perth when we migrated in 87, a collegue of my dad mentioned holidaying in Denmark every year.
WOW, my dad thought, Denmark!!

Later, found out there's a little town in the southwest called Denmark
(nice town for holidaying actually, though not every year!!! No town/city is that nice!)

Just want to back up the 'abo is not a term of endearment'.

As an Aussie(half), I wouldn't even shorten it in private conversations, cos I'd feel racist.
I really can't get 'abo' out of my mouth. It's either aborginal or aborigine.(never know what the difference is, though I believe we are supposed to use the first one?)
I shorten a lot of words, but not this one!

kong

If you keep on digging yourself deeper Tina you'll be back in blighty by tonight!!!!!!!

mickj

Good to see someone standing up for something they don't condone, If the original slang was intended that is !

MikeStanton

And Oz's insecurity goes a lot deeper than that.

Not only does Oz claim those people it likes as dinki di Aussies (even though many of these people weren't born in Oz or have taken up residency), but they conveniently forget those they don't like.

For example, Princess Michael of Kent. If you want to know that she lived in Oz for 16 years, you have to look outside Oz for the info (eg the BBC).

Here's a stunning surprise. Her 'growing-up' in Oz seems to have slipped by those eagle-eyed journos at Oz Channel 7, Sydney Morning Herald and The Australian. Golly!

How convenient.

Don't want to mess with Oz's image now, do we....

Peter

It was common knowledge amongst people I knew she lived in Australia.

What's even worse is that it was common knowledge that Tiny Tim lived in Australia for a spell too.

mickj

And in Austria too, where she got married. I guess you can see where she learnt "HER TRADE" so to speak

http://www.princemichael.org.uk/princess/

Don't know who is worse, her or prince Phillip?